ECA, the Electrical Contractors’ Association representing electrical contractors and companies across England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, has welcomed the publication of the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy. The long-awaited strategic plan for the next decade, which promises to bring down industrial electricity costs, ensure projects receive timely connections to the grid, and support small- and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) by tackling late payments from large firms to SMEs.
Rob Driscoll, ECA’s Director of Legal and Business, comments, “Tackling the culture and practice of late payments within the industry has been a cornerstone of ECA’s advocacy for a number of years. We welcome the Government’s commitment to unlock growth and go further, faster, solving this pernicious issue, and look forward to working in partnership with them to end poor payment practices.”
ECA’s Blueprint for Electrification calls for improving grid connections and removing barriers to planning in order to speed up electrification.
“The Industrial Strategy – Clean Energy Industry Sector Plan outlines a commitment to growing Britain’s electricity network supply chains, so clean power projects can connect to the grid,” says Jane Dawson, ECA’s Head of External Affairs. “We see this as a positive step to speeding up the energy transition, as outlined in the Blueprint for Electrification. ECA Member firms will also welcome the promise to remove planning barriers, an often-cited obstacle to new projects.”
Andrew Eldred, ECA’s Deputy CEO, adds, “An electrical career provides high-quality jobs and good career progression opportunities. To match the demand of accelerating electrification outlined in the Industrial Strategy, the industry, just in England, needs 12,500 new entrants each year (5,000 more than current levels of apprentice recruitment). Procurement reforms need to prioritise growing the workforce by mandating apprentice ratios and other industry-endorsed skills targets in contracts.”
While ECA says it welcomes the reduction in the price of industrial electricity for selected businesses, it continues to call for a review of historical taxation on electricity which would reduce the price of clean energy for everyone.
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